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I believe that it is prudent to teach children the value of a strong work ethic and pride in one's chosen profession at an early age, but children should not be allowed to work until they are at least 16 years of age or closer to 17. I believe that it is imperative that children are allowed to be children for as long as they possibly can. I find that in today's society, children are forced to grow up too quickly and take on roles and positions that should be the responsibility of adults. Now, it is different if the child is in an environment that is extremely dysfunctional and they have no other choice but to support themselves in order to survive. But more often than not, I see children barely over the age of 15 working and in some instances their grades are suffering because it is more important for them to earn whatever they are earning so that they can buy whatever the latest fad is, as opposed to focusing on their academic studies and participating in age appropriate activities. My son is currently 19 years old. My husband and I did not allow him to work until he was 16 and then it was a summer job. When the school year ascended upon us, he was told to scale back his hours until his first report card came out. If we saw that his grades were suffering (which they eventually did), he was made to quit and focus on his studies. My thing is this...we have a lifetime to work and make our professional mark in the world. Life is a joy to live but it can be tough too, and I strongly believe that children should enjoy their childhood while they can!

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